


Before Dawn

by sheron



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 03:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14463678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheron/pseuds/sheron
Summary: Infinity War spoilers!Tony comes home.





	Before Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to MsErmestH for looking it over for errors. This fills my 'Infinity War' MCU Stony bingo square, as well as the 'writing format: missing scene/epilogue/coda' square from the main Stony bingo.

 

Steve doesn't see them land. He's running through the halls of the Compound, calling Nat and Rhodey on the comm. They are already on high alert, even before Rocket raises alarm about a ship on the Compound's scanners, but there's nothing they can do. Rocket is attempting to convince Friday to cooperate and fire on the incoming ship ― surely another of Thanos' children ― and just as Steve runs outside into the field, a familiar voice cuts through the radio traffic.

"It's me."

Tony. Oh God.

Steve stumbles to a halt, and feels Nat come up behind him, at his left shoulder. His breath stutters, and his chest feels as if it's been gripped in a vice of anticipation and fear. The relief doesn't kick in until his eyes land on the figures, making their ways slowly across the field of grass in the front lawn of the compound. There are two figures, walking towards them from some sort of a spaceship with an open hatch.

Iron Man is being helped by an unfamiliar blue-skinned woman, who by all appearances is keeping Tony upright with his right arm across her shoulders. Steve's chest tightens again. Tony has one hand clutched to his left abdominal side, in a clear sign of pain.

Rhodey rushes ahead, encased in the War Machine armor except for his helmet. He's at Tony's side in an instant, and Steve sees him try to take Tony's other arm before pausing. By then, Steve and Natasha unfreeze enough that they both stride forward to meet the new-comers.

The blue skinned woman watches them critically, with sharp, glittering eyes. She's got some kind of plating on her skin and Steve wonders if she isn't another version of Vision, a cybernetic organism. His chest snags with pain at the thought, but most of his attention is on Tony, who has his eyes squeezed shut, breathing harshly. His chest is shining with a triangular energy source that Steve can only guess at. Tony's armor is different than before, more advanced, but parts of it are peeled off him like a second skin, only covering him in places, as if he couldn't manage to put it on all the way. His hands are covered in soot.

"Hey, Tones..." Rhodey calls, and Steve's breath catches a little when Tony finally opens his eyes. 

The look in them.

His eyes are a gaping wound. 

"I fucked up," Tony says, with a hitching breath, and tries to pull his arm away from the woman helping him. Immediately, he staggers so Rhodey has to steady him with an arm on his elbow. All of Steve's joints lock up as he physically holds himself back from reaching out to help. "I seriously fucked up," Tony mutters again, not even talking to them, not really.

There's a despair that's familiar. It's been preying on Steve's mind.

"Thanos," he says, not in question.

Tony's eyes flicker to his for the first time. It's like a cauterizing flame, burning under his skin.

Tony's throat works and he says, finally, "Steve." Like giving in; like a prayer. 

Steve's mind is awash with the memory of Bucky, saying his name on his final breath and he flinches; holds himself steady. He can't think about that. He can't.

Tony sways again. Steve instantly knows Tony is a breath from passing out, and the tension between wanting to help and having to hold himself back again threatens to tear him apart. The thing between them is too delicately balanced and he doesn't know what to do. 

Natasha seems to realize the extent of Tony's state at the same time Steve does. "You're injured," she says with a tremble threading her calm voice. "C'mon, there is a Med Bay," she motions towards the compound with her chin, as if Tony doesn't know. He built it. The blue skinned woman's eyes pass between all of them, and her mouth turns down as if in a snarl, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Everyone else is gone," Tony says, not moving. His eyes are still locked on Steve's. "We're the only ones left."

"Bruce and Thor are here," Rhodey offers quietly, still supporting Tony by the elbow. Tony shuts his eyes, sagging a bit in relief. His companion's patience seem to finally snap, and she pulls Tony's hand off of her shoulder, pushing him forward into Nat, like handing off a burden she isn't meant to carry. 

"I have to go," she says, in clear precise tones. "I have to find Thanos and destroy him." She turns around and begins striding away, back to her ship.

"Wait!" Steve calls after her. "We should fight together," he says, and wishes his words had come out strong and sure, but there's a thread of doubt there and he knows she heard it. They all heard it.

The woman turns her head to look at him over the shoulder. Her eyes glitter. But she says nothing and simply strides away, back to her spaceship parked out on the lawn. Within moments, the structure lifts up and is gone, up into the cloudless blue sky. 

Tony is leaning into Natasha now, and Steve knows it's only because he has no choice. Natasha's expression is strained when she glances up at Steve, she's looking for answers again and he's all out. 

"Med bay, Tony," Rhodey says, weary and resolute. "No arguments." His nose wrinkles. "You need a shower."

Tony glances at his friend, then lifts up his hand that had been clutching his abdomen. Steve had expected blood underneath, but all he sees is metal, wrapping around Tony's torso. Tony is looking at his fingers, running his thumb across the skin as if testing that the dust is still there. His eyes grow wider.

Steve finally understands what he's seeing.

"It's―" Steve says and that's all that he has the breath for. His own skin stings where he'd touched similar remains. Swiftly, he pushes panicked despair far into the depths of his mind. This isn't the time to mourn; this isn't the time for confusion and grief.

Tony is in shock. He begins to drop almost immediately, as if the realization that he still has the marks of what happened on his hands is the final straw. His eyes roll up and it's only Steve rushing forward to catch him that stops his fall. Steve hears Rhodey's distressed noise, but all he sees is Tony, fading out before their eyes. Steve won't let that happen.

"He needs medical," Steve barks roughly, lifting Tony up with one arm under the knees, and one supporting his back. Tony is heavier than a human his size weights; it has to be the suit. He is still partially covered in it, and Steve has no idea how they'll get it off. He is certain there's an abdominal injury they are not seeing, because of the cover of metal across Tony's chest. The way Tony had clutched his side is evidence enough, even if they can't see the wound.

Nodding sharply, Rhodey flies ahead into the Compound to prepare, while Steve strides with his carry across the lawn towards the building. They still have Cho's cradle, if nothing else, even if the woman herself is missing in action ― just like half of the Earth's population. He can't think about that now; he'll think about that later.

In his arms, Tony is unconscious, or as good as. His head lies listless against Steve's shoulder, his expression still pained even like this, the dark lashes like smudges on his cheek, a stray bit of hair plastered against his forehead with sweat. Natasha is at their side, and she runs her fingers once across Tony's hair, a barely there touch as if to reassure herself of his presence. Steve catches her eyes and has to bite his own lip, because he cannot let himself give in to the emotions pressing at him from all sides. Thor and Banner are somewhere inside the compound, and they'll be happy to have their teammate back.

Tony is still here. Steve feels the weight of him in his arms, a precious burden. It pierces him through the heart that he still has this.

That they are all they have.

 

**Fin.**

 


End file.
